Fighting Dragons
by kingslayers
Summary: The Ministry has finally approved for the TriWizard Tournament to run again. Join the NextGen kids as they find the Tournament back at Hogwarts, in time for James and Dominique's final year. Who will compete for the title, and at what cost would they win?
1. Kings Cross and Confusing Warnings

**A/N: This is for the Next Gen TriWizard Tournament Challenge on HPCF :)**

**DISCLAIMER FOR WHOLE THING: Yeah, I don't own it.**

"James!" Lily shrieked from across the platform. James rolled his eyes, and grinned at the pretty blonde fifth year he had been chatting up.

"Excuse me, I have a little redhead demanding my attention," he said charmingly, giving her a wink.

As he turned to head over to his raging sister, he heard her giggle and he grinned to himself.

Oh yes. She wanted him. Then again, who wouldn't? He was James Sirius Potter. His very name radiated pure awesomeness.

"James, explain why Lorcan thinks I like Nott?" Lily hissed, venom displayed in her eyes.

James grinned at her impishly. "Because I told him so. Though I have a feeling you know that," he said, pretending to think. Lily let out a strangled sort of scream and stormed off in the general direction of their mother. James gulped. Ginny Potter was scary in a temper. He glanced around, and found his cousin, Fred.

"Dude!" he greeted, shooting his Mum and sister a frantic look. "I have a feeling they're plotting my funeral."

Fred laughed, and said, "Why am I not surprised?"

James scowled, and asked, "You going to help me?"

Fred shook his head. "I can't," he admitted. "I've got Head duties."

James made a face. He'd forgotten that Fred was responsible now. It had come as a great shock to everyone when Fred had become prefect, and even more shock when he was selected as Head Boy. However, they could all see that he was going to be brilliant at it. He had his father's sense of humour, and his mother's determination, but he also commanded a certain respect with his presence, something he'd picked up over the years from his Uncle Harry.

"Have you seen Dom, then?" James asked, desperate for an escape. Fred cocked an eyebrow, and gave a roguish grin. "Why? Scared?"

James shook his head defensively. "Course not," he said in a falsely laid-back voice. "Just want to see my cuz."

Fred gave a bark of laughter, before pointing over at a red-haired girl. "There she is."

James gave a quick smile in thanks, and ran over to Dominique, flinging an arm around her shoulders, but slipping and knocking over a dark-haired figure, nearly bringing Dom down with them. However, she managed to grab onto a handrail and kept her balance.

"Unghhh," the stirring figure moaned from beneath James' arm. He rolled over, and Cassie Lewis, Dominique's best friend, came into view. A laughing Dom held her hand out and helped Cassie up.

"Honestly, James, you're hopeless," Dominique sighed as James tried to pull himself up, before collapsing and sending her a pleading look. He didn't want the girls of Hogwarts to see him on the floor; who would he flirt with? Actually, he didn't really want anyone to see him, even though Dom and Cassie already had. Dom groaned, and pulled him up, her years as chaser having made her stronger than she looked.

"What made you come over, anyway?" Dominique asked, having pulled James up.

He ran his hands through his hair, saying, "Mum and Lils are plotting my funeral."

"Have you decided whether you wish to be cremated or buried?" Cassie asked in an innocent tone. James made a face at her. She drove him insane at times.

"Alright, settle down children," Dominique said with an amused smile. Her expression changed, and she hit James' shoulder.

"Ow! Dom, what the hell?" he demanded. She rolled her eyes and turned him around, so he could see his dad coming for him. The shrill whistle of the train blew, and Dom glanced at the Hogwarts Express.

"See you soon, James," she told him, grabbing Cassie's hand and pulling her onto the train.

"Ciao," Cassie waved, smirking as James sent her the evils.

James tried to look carefree, but it was kind of hard when he wanted to jump on the train. Harry strolled up to him, amused.

"Well, as I can see you want to get on the train, I'll make this quick," Harry smirked. James nodded gratefully and looked at his dad expectantly.

Harry hesitated, and looked at his son. James was a pretty much carbon copy of James Potter I - apart from the puppy dog expression. James didn't have the expression his namesake had on moat photos, the expression that meant he was thinking of Lily Evans. But he was still just a seventeen year old boy. Harry shook himself out of his reverie and looked directly into his son's hazel eyes.

"This year," he began, "Hogwarts is going to be a little different. It's going to be a bit more dangerous, and I need you to promise me that you'll be careful this year. After all, your mother would murder you if you got yourself killed." He glanced at the scarlet train. "You best be going, James," Harry nodded towards the train, before clapping a hand on his shoulder and looking his son in the eyes before moving back to where Ginny was.

James stood stock-still, before hearing a female voice from the Hogwarts Express shout, "James, get on the damn train!"

Shocked out of his standstill, James leaped into action. He ran to the train, and grabbed on to the rail of the closing door, and slipped in before the door could close. He stood in the corridor, thinking hard. What had his dad been talking about?


	2. Train Rides, Jealousy and Slytherins

Chapter 2

James had been sitting in the same compartment as Louis, Lucy, Lysander, Lysander's girlfriend Rachel Wood, and Tony Lea, who was ignoring his attempts to chat her up. At least, she was trying to. James could see the smile slip across her face whenever he complimented her or flirted with her in a new way. James smirked at Louis, who looked like he was entirely fed up with the situation. James couldn't blame him. He could sense the anger that Lucy was slowly radiating, and figured Rachel Wood was going to be yelled at very soon if she didn't stop whispering to Lysander. Taking a glance around the carriage, he decided to depart.

"Alas, my presence must leave you now. Don't miss me too much," he said with a roguish wink, before heading into the corridor, and knocking a girl onto the ground. He recognised her as the gorgeous Slytherin who hung out with Malfoy all the time.

"Excusez-moi, Mademoiselle," James said charmingly, offering her a hand. Glaring at it, she accepted it grudgingly, and allowed him to haul her up.

"You might want to watch where you're going next time, Potter," she informed him, before making her way down the hall.

"Wait!" he called. She turned, hands on her hips.

"What?" she demanded. James swallowed.

"Don't I get to know your name?" he asked.

She snorted. "What, so you can tell any Slytherin you want to shag that you're not prejudiced because you helped me up?" she asked sardonically.

"Why would I need help getting a girl to shag?" he demanded.

"You're right," she said, faux-innocently. "There's no shortage of brain dead cleavage-on-legs at this school. You'll do fine!"

"Excuse me," James said hotly. "I don't just go out with girls for their physical assets-"

"No, you shag them because of their moral substance," she interrupted with a snort.

James had to subside. "Fine," he said grudgingly. "You sound far too much like Cassie, in my opinion," he muttered. The girl laughed.

"Lewis? I sound like the girl who managed to hex you silent for a day? I'm flattered," she said with a grin. James made a face.

"She's so mean to me," he whined.

"Look, as lovely as this chat has been, I honestly can't be bothered listening to you moan about how some Gryffindor girl isn't falling at your feet, so I'm going to go," the dark haired Slytherin said brusquely.

"What's your name?" he called again as she walked away.

"Bella," she yelled back.

"You suit your name, Miss Bella," he called charmingly, receiving only the middle finger in return.

James stared after her admiringly. Maybe he should give Al and Lucy more credit for surviving Hogwarts if they lived with people like her all the time.

With a low whistle, he headed down the corridor, and popped into the compartment of a familiar redhead.


	3. Teasing Banter and FireBreathing Dragons

Chapter 3

"I just got verbally assaulted by Malfoy's friend," James mock-wept, falling next to Dominique. He looked up to see Cassie snort.

"Verbally assaulted? What, you flirted with her and she rejected you?" she said sardonically. James glared.

"Dominique! You're on my side, riiiiiight?" he pleaded. Dom fixed him with a look, before laughing.

"Uh, no. Cassie wins this round," she grinned. James pouted and Cassie giggled. He looked at her.

"What?" James asked curiously.

"N- nothing," she said between giggles.

"What?" he repeated, more urgently.

"It's just.. You looked like a depressed puppy," Cassie let out. James' eyes widened. Great. He looked like a freaking dog. Amused at his expression, Dominique took out her muggle camera, and snapped a picture. Cassie had bought it for her, as she knew her best friend was close to Hugo and Arthur because of their love of muggle technology and muggle life. It had been the perfect gift, James admitted grudgingly, for Dominique. After snapping her photo, Dominique laughed and handed it to Cassie, who beamed at the image, before slipping it into her robes pocket.

"We have about two hours left, shall we play Exploding Snap?" Cassie asked. Receiving two nods in return, she summoned James' pack from where Dom had stuck his stuff, and began dealing.

After playing for a few hours, Cassie glanced at her watch, and told them it was time to get ready to disembark the train. Trying to make their way through the madness of Hogwarts students, they created a chain, linked by their hands. As they clambered into a carriage – shutting it before any of James' special 'friends' could try join them – Dominique gasped.

"What in the name of Merlin…?" she breathed. Crowding around the miniscule window, James and Cassie looked for what had caught her attention.

"I don't believe it," James said in disbelief. "It's a dragon."

And it was. A magnificent beast, with deep purple scales, and a silver underbelly, that glowed luminescent in the moonlight. On its back was a leather carriage, shaped like a turret. There was light spilling from the openings and noise and rambunctious laughter was heard.

"Why is there a dragon full of people on our Quidditch Pitch?" Cassie asked curiously, though there was a definite edge to her voice. Dominique shook her head.

"No idea, but if Hagrid allows our Pitch to be destroyed, I'm not letting him anywhere near another dragon," she said firmly, pointing out the half-giant standing near the beast.

"Hagrid, what's going on?" James yelled as the carriage passed Hagrid.

"Yer'll fin' out soon enough," he hollered back with a cheery wave, narrowly dodging a burst of flame from the beast that he was looking at adoringly.

Shaking his head, James turned to the girls. "I guess we'll find out."

"Yeah," Cassie said, uncertain. "I guess we will."


End file.
